Agreeing to India’s assertions on identifying perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack, the US has designated the Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). 

TRF, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) front and proxy, had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

“The Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),” Rubio said.  

TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT,” he said.

The action against the TRF comes after sustained pressure from India. In mid-May, just days after Operation Sindoor, an Indian delegation met top officials of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and gave details of the TRF.